A Co Tyrone primary school has been hailed for their efforts in helping to ease the cost of living crisis on families in their community.
Primate Dixon Primary School, Coalisland issued an email to parents this week outlining the number of measures they plan to put in place to help parents and ease stress around the mounting back-to-school costs.
In the letter, Principal Sean Dillon set out the ways in which the school plans to help parents in the coming year, including free fruit for all, free toast during the cold months, free O'Neill's sweatshirts for all P7s, free musical instrument tuition among other things.
Read more: NI families face 'destitution' this winter unless solutions found to address cost of living crisis
With the cost of school uniforms and branded uniforms a hot topic at the moment, Primate Dixon says they only require pupils to buy the branded sweatshirt with the school logo.
The letter read: "We remain very conscious of the financial pressures families are under and how these are very likely to get even more severe in the months ahead.
"School uniform is a topic of debate across the north just now – this is indeed a very significant cost to parents and the uniform grant, £42.90 for primary children, does not go very far.
"Our main uniform item is school sweatshirt with Primate Dixon Crest, available in local shops. After that polo shirts are as parents wish – crest or no crest.
"This year we are able to provide O’Neill’s Primate Dixon half-zip sweatshirts for our P7 children. We will have a sweatshirt for every P7 child – free-of-charge. We are expecting delivery of these shortly, it may be early September, we will keep P7 parents updated."
"We will continue to ensure that every activity that takes place in Primate Dixon is always, always free-of-charge."
The school also reassured parents that all stationary the children would need for the coming year would be provided as well as free childcare in the morning for parents who have to drop their children off early.
"In preparing for the new school year, we all know children look forward to their new and shiny pencil cases and bits and pieces. Please be assured though, we will have everything available here in school for every child, pencils, rubbers, colouring pencils, Pritt sticks and everything else that children will need in class. These and all other resources, like photocopying, are always free-of-charge.
"Early Arrivers, P1 to P7, will continue to be welcome into school from 8.15 each day – this early morning care and supervision will stay always free-of-charge."
The Co Tyrone school last year provided free hot dinners for all pupils regardless of criteria in January and February and they said they hope to be able to have free hot dinners for all again this January.
They also said they will provide fruit for all children every day of the school year so there is no need for parents to buy other break time items.
The letter continued: "We have a brilliant Primate Dixon School Orchestra with around 90 children involved. We also have children who have small individual or group tuition in a number of instruments. We will again be covering all music tuition charges.
"We will be welcoming the return of school swimming programmes at Dungannon pool this year. We have booked slots for this. We will be covering all costs of our swimming programme.
"All games and sports coaching will of course also always be free-of-charge."
With the transfer test and private tuition an extra cost for families, Primate Dixon say they are also providing extra support for children who wish to avail of it free of charge.
They said: "Many Primary 7 pupils will be working extra hard preparing for GL Assessment in November. We are very conscious of private tuition costs.
"We will again run our after-school additional literacy and numeracy programmes. We will also run our Saturday morning programme of practice Mathematics Test Papers. All P7’s who wish to take part will be welcome."
Local SDLP Councillor Malachy Quinn hailed the school for their 'massive gesture' in helping families who are struggling to make ends meet.
He told Belfast Live: "We hear a lot about being part of a community and doing what we can to help those who need it. There is no better example of this than what Primate Dixon has done for their pupils.
"People are struggling with the cost of living crisis and buying school uniforms is adding so much pressure on parents but here we have a school going beyond what's expected of them to ease that pressure.
"Giving a hoodie, food, morning childcare even the basics of a pencil and rubber is a massive gesture by the Primate Dixon and sets an example for schools not just in the North but right across the country.
"Not all schools will be able to do this and that's ok, but if we can all do what we can then it make a big difference to pupils and families. "
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